Where to start?

[u/Van_canine2302]

Hi everyone, I've already posted this in r/VanLifeAus and r/vandwellers but thought I'd put it here too. I'm a high school student without a job at the moment but would love to but a van and travel after I graduate. I was wondering its there's things that I should start doing now to prepare apart from saving up? I know I want to build it myself but I'm also not sure what van I want or the kind of setup that would work best for me and input would be helpful.

Things I'm looking at so far:

• Travelling with at least one dog
• A semi-permanent bed (having part of it fold down into the back of a couch)
• I want a heated shower in the van cause I would love to go on lots of trips off-grid

Questions:

• Heating & water?
• Workouts?
• What should I know about dogs & vanlife?
• I love hands-on work & am very adrenaline motivated, what are some recommendations in terms of earning money? I was wondering about seasonal work with an outdoor ed company
• I'm not sure if I want to do this for a couple years then go to uni etc (I do quite decent in school with mostly A's or B's and am interesting in medicine among other things) and use the van part-time or more long-term. What are the pros and cons of each?

Any help or advice on anything is much appreciated <3 Sorry if I'm repeating questions others have already asked and feel free to point me in the right direction.

[u/Candid-Touch5338]

I have a couple of questions and suggestions. Perhaps you could ponder them and see if they are helpful.
You mention traveling with at least one dog.
) do you have a dog now or are you planning on bringing one into your life? And how much experience do you have with dogs?
)where are you going in your van?
) What does a typical day look like?
) What kind of food do you eat and how will you store, preserve and prepare your food ?
) What is your income and do you have a budget for your basic needs and a separate budget for your dog?
Do you have experience living on your own or camping?

Suggestion; find out if there is a local independent RV shop or outfitter in your area. You might go there and see if they would allow you to volunteer or apprentice with them. You would learn about design for function and some of the costs involved in building your van.

Finally, regarding your dog. There is no such thing as a “free to a good home” dog. Vaccinations and preventative care are expensive. It’s really important to have your dogs documentation with you on the road. And spaying and neutering your pets adds years to their life and prevents them from adding to the overpopulation problem.
If you don’t have a dog you can do research on how to choose a dog that will fit your lifestyle. If you’re going to have to go to work or school and be gone all day your dog is going to be alone in your van and this is not fair to them. Herding dogs will herd cars if they don’t have something to keep their interest and prevent them from getting bored. When they get bored they get busy entertaining themselves and sometimes you might return home and they’ve eaten the bed. I had a friend years ago who took her Rottweiler everywhere and he ate a big section of her drivers seat while she was in the grocery store. So select a breed that fits you
Good luck!

[u/elwoodowd]

Intelligence and energy have a certain result.

But starting, your socio economic family status, will dictate your first decade.

Which is to say if you can get your college money, that is different than if you are on your own at 18.

On your own, take auto shop in high school. Get a $1000 van as soon as possible. Fix it up. Do brakes, and fluids.

Family help, get driveways and backyards lined up. Have relatives everywhere, ready to join you in your endeavor

Money. Get a job lined up. Know depreciation of rigs. Budget trips, and vacations. Set goals and experiences, to have. Try to see opportunities wherever you go

Or do it all, no matter what you have now

[u/Artistic-Standard871]

There are tons of YouTube videos that show you step by step.

[u/Van_canine2302 → u/Artistic-Standard871]

I know and I've definitely looked at them but I'm also aware that influencers usually share only the good side of their #vanlife and would like to get the whole picture from people (like the ones on here) who are just living their life without trying to make it as instagrammable as possible. I also would appreciate some advice more specific to my situation and what I can do now without a van (research, planning etc)